Elkhorn Slough is a designated no-wake zone with a posted speed limit of 4 knots, or five mph.

"It's very simple -- slow down. If you're boating and you're excited about the salmon season, don't let that translate into going faster than the no wake rule," said Hank Armstrong of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

"There's no question that boat strike deaths of sea otters occurs. There have been 35 in the last 10 years and we've got to do something about it," Friends of the Sea Otter spokesman Jim Curland said.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act protects sea otters and other marine mammals and prohibits people from killing and harassing these animals.

It can cost you hundreds of dollars in fines and potentially land you in jail if you're caught disturbing endangered otters.